Automatic railway-signal



s sheets-sheet '2. A

A. SCOTLAND 81; H. F. B'RINK. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SIGNAL.

(No Morrdsl.)

No. 424,506.Y

Wwf/issie: fm1/ffy 70H QW/6 W y);

(No Modx.) srsheets-sheet a. A. SCOTLAND 8E H. F. BRINK.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAYVSIGNAL.

llllll WW1/fuffa M55@ L v. BM

N. PErERS. mwnnng'pm. Warmst, |16.

UNITED STATES FATENT Ormea.

ANDRET SCOTLAND AND HENRY F. BRINK, OF MALTAVILLE, NET YORK.

UTOIVIATIC RAI LWAY-SIG NAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,506, dated April 1,1890.

Application filed May 16, 1889. Serial No. 310,972. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may con/cern,.-

Be it known that we, ANDREW SCOTLAND and HENRY F. BRINK, of Maltaville,in the county of Saratoga and State of New York, have invented certainnew and useful Irnprovements in Automatic Railway-Signals; and we dohereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, that will enable others skilled in the art t-o whichit appertains to make and use the saine, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

Our invention relates to improvements in automatic railway-signals; andit consists of the novel construction and combination of parts to behereinafter described, and 'subsequently claimed.

Figure l of the drawings represents a cen tral vertical longitudinalsection of a caboosecar having our improved signal attached thereto,taken on the broken line 1 1 in Fig. 8; Fig. 2, a vertical transversesection taken on the broken line 2 2 in Fig. 3, showing the upperportion only of the car. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the signal-boxesand a portion of the car. Fig. 4 is atop plan view of asupport for thevertical shaftbearings anda portion of the car-axles; Fig. 5, a verticalcrosssection of the bearing-support, taken on the broken line 5 5 inFig. 1, and showing in side elevation the shaft-actuating worm; Fig. 6,a horizontal cross-section of the shaft and inclosures taken on thebroken line G 6 in Fig. 1; Fig. 7, a central vertical section of therotary signal-box detached and inverted.

A represents a Caboose-car, which may be of any known general form, andis provided with a rotary shaft B, which extends vertically through thecar. The lower end of the shaft may be connected with the car-axle inany known manner to impart to it a rotary movement. We have shown, as apreferred method, a worm-gear W', upon the axle A', adapted to engagewith a worm-wheel 1V', fixed upon the lower end of the shaft, as byset-screw W2, passing through the wheel-hub NVS'. The lower end of theshaft is made coneshaped, andhas its bearing in the screwthreaded stepXW. The step is vertically adjustable in a support consisting of ametallic bar S, secured at one end to the car-axle A2, as by a clip orbox S', and at the other end to the axle A', having the worm-gear, as byflanges S2, bearing upon the axle. The vertical shaft is passed downthrough the aperture S3 and the worm-wheel to its step, the latter beingscrewed into a threaded aperture in the extreme end of thesupporting-bar, which end is bent around the axle A', as shown in Fig.l. The vert-ical shaft is provided with a universal joint B', which maybe of any known form. The shaft above this joint is divided into twotelescopic sections, the lower section B2 being movable within andlongitudinally of the hollow end of the other section. The lower sectionis provided with a transverse slot or slideway B4 in its upper inclosedend, adapted to receive and form a slideway for the pin B5, inserted inthe shell of the hollow secn tion and extending transversely of thesaine. When desired, a coil-spring BG may be inserted in the hollowsection, so that the upper end bears upon the solid portion of the uppersection to support it, while the lower end of the spring bears upon andis supported by the upper end of the lower inserted section, as shown inFig. l. It will thus be seen that while that portion of the shaft belowthe universal joint, upon which the gear-wheel is lsecured, is supportedin a fixed position relatively to the axles, the telescopic sections arefree to partake of the lateral movements of the car when connected witha moving train.

By having the shaft made in telescopic sec-A tions the upper section isfree to partake of the vertical vibrations or movements of the carrelative to the axles, which movements are considerable in cars mountedupon springs.

That portion of the shaft which is inclosed within the car may have aninclosing case, as the upright cylinder B7, provided with an attahingiiange BS at its lower end, by means of which it can be secured to thefloor of the car, as by screws. The upper end of the shaft passes upthrough a turret O, fixed upon the top of the car. The vertical sidewalls of the turret are made up of a series of panes of glass or othersubstance, which Will permit of the passage of light through the same.The panes may differ from each other in color, and some are clear glassWithout perceptible color. XVe prefer to make alternate panes red andthe other alternate panes of clear glass, as shown in Fig. 2, the redpanes being marked C and the clear panes C2. Within the turret isarectangular frame or box O3, the vertical Walls of which are alsocomposed of dierent colored or clear panes, adapted for the passage oflight. The alternate panes Ci are preferably clear, and the others ofany preferred color, as successively White and blue, the panes C5 beingwhite and C6 blue. The inner frame C3 is adapted to slide back and forthlongitudinally' of the turret a distance equal to the Width of a singlepane. As a means for communicating to such frame a vibratory movement,We provide a lever D, fulcrumed upon a fixed part of the car, as at D.One end of the lever is provided With the slot D2, adapted to receivethe pin D3, fixed in the frame. The other end of the lever is pivoted tothe rod D4, which is actuated by the eccentric D5, fixed upon thevertical shaft. Itis obvious that a reciprocating movement of the frame,varying in rapidity with the velocity of the car, will thus be impartedthrough the eccentric-actuated lever D, shaft B, gear W', and Worm XV,fixed on the car-axle.

Any desired number of lanterns D6 may be secured within the frame tosend rays of light through the panes in the frame and turret.

Then the frame and turret occupy the relative positions shown in Fig. 2,the alternate panes C would exhibit a red color, the first pane, markedC2, counting from the left in' Fig. 2, a White or shaded light, thesecond pane, marked C2, ablue light, the third a White light, and thefourth or last pane, a clear unshaded light. Vhen the frame is at itsother limit of vibration, every other pane @would exhibit a clearunshaded light, as the clear panes C4 in the frame would coincide withthem, and the other panes would present a variety of `colors, from whichit is obvious thatwe produce a ash light or lights at everyreciprocating movement of the frame. It is only necessary, therefore, tonote the rapidity of the flashes to determine approximately the velocityof the moving car. If the flashes cease, the car has come to astandstill. To determine the direction in which the car is moving, Weprovide a revolving box F, having a rectangular central aperture adaptedto receive and t the rectangular-shaped shaft B. The box may have anydesired number of lanterns F, secured upon the inside hooks F10, andadapted to send rays of light through panes F2, F3, F4, and F5, whichform the four vertical Walls of the box. The box is also provided atitsfour corners with the Wings FG. The box rests upon the supportingcoilspring F9, and is held upon the shaft by the pin Fi. When the car ismoving in one direction, the box revolves in a certain direc-- tionwhich exhibits successively the panes F2, F3, F, and F5, whichrepresent, respectively, red, white, and blue, and a clear pane, Whichlatter may be filled with any desired signal, as a number, picture, orother object. Should the direction of thecar be reversed to travelbackward, the revoluble movements of the panes would be reversed, theWorm on the axle acting to turn the shaft in the opposite direction, andclear, blue, white, and red would lsuccessively appear instead of red,White, and blue, the order maintained by the forward movement of thecar.

The Wings F6 serve to shorten the time during whichv the successivepanes remain Within the field of vision, and consequently prolong theinterval during which one pane only is visible from any point in thcsame horizontal plane.

Should a train of cars start upon its return-trip without reversing thecaboose it is only necessary to withdraw the pin F from the shaft, slipthe signal-box therefrom, turn it over to the position shown in Fig. 7,and.

return it to its place on the shaft. The panes Will then appearsuccessively to an observer in the same order as when the train Wasmoving in the opposite direction.

The buttons FB serve to hold the panes in place in the box When the boxis in the position shown in Fig. '7. (Shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3.)

What We-claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent', is-- 1.In an automatic railway-signal, the combination, with a Worm-gear iixedupon an axle of a railway-car, of a vertical rotary shaft extending fromsuch axle up through the car, a Worm-engaging gear fixed upon the lowerend of such shaft, an eccentric lixed upon such shaft near its upperend, a signalturret, a signal-frame reciprocatory in such turret, andactuating mechanism connecting such fralne with the eccentric,substantially as described.

2. In an automatic railway-signal, the combination, with a verticalrotary axle-actuated shaft extending from the axle up through the car,of a signal-box fixed upon the upper projecting end of the shaft, andhaving its vertical Walls composed of signal-panes of different colors,and signal-screens fixed upon the box, one between each pair of panes,and projecting therefrom radially to the shaft, substantially asdescribed.

3. In an automatic railway-signal, the combination, with a verticalrotary axle-actuated shaft extending from the axle up through the car,of a signal-box detachably supported by such shaft, and provided withmeans for maintaining a light When either side up, substantially asdescribed.

4.. In a railway-signal, the combination,

TOO

IIO

with a vertical rotary axle-actuated shaft ex- In testimony whereof wehave hereunto set tending from the aXle up through the ear, of our handsthis 14th day of May, 1889.

a signal-box supported by such shaft to turn ANDREV SCQTLAND. therewith,but free to slide longitudinally HENRY F. BRINK. thereon, and asupporting coil-spring inelos- Witnesses;

ing such shaft beneath the box, substantially GEO. A. MOSHER,

as described. CIAs. L. ALDEN.

